Documentary Watch: Blackfish & We Are Legion

In what can only be described as a serious veering from personal subjects, I am going to dive into a puddle of films that I don’t usually cover. Sure, I’ve seen Inside Job (2010), the odd documentaries I might find on Netflix and various Michael Moore films – but in trying to open my eyes to different subjects, I’ve decided to watch a ton of documentaries – and note how I feel about each – this post contains two documentary reviews. The documentaries I am going to cover in this post are all new to me – ones I’ve never seen before this day. The documentaries to be covered are: We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (2012); Blackfish (2013).

First up is We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (2012), by Brian Knappenberger, focusing, of course, on the Anonymous hackers. When I say that it focuses, in truth it’s about the origin of the group, but also the origin of their cause. In many ways trying to make us believe in the power of these people, and to view them as more than just pranksters – which some might call them. The focus itself is extremely interesting and topical. I found it really interesting, and I found that there was a lot I did not know. It was a nice guide from it being on 4chan to it being truly a global Internet power. I found it thorough and educational. The culture behind all of it was amazing for me to see in this documentary, and the way Knappenberger handled it really satisfied me. I rate it at 7.7 out of 10.

Next up we have Blackfish (2013), by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, focusing on killer whales. It has been highly discussed I’ve found, but this was the first time I got to see it. After encountering what can only be described as a scary introduction, the documentary starts focusing on the trainers and how stunning these animals are. And then we get thrown right back into the horror. Some of these horrific videos, pictures, and stories are sure to stay with you – that’s for sure. The horror comes in waves, and you are sure to be hit. As you encounter Tilikum the plot thickens, one might say. I definitely loved how this documentary was handled, and its impact on me was instrumental in forming my rating: 8.7 out of 10.0.